government employee international travel

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In This Section

• Travel Guidance
• DOI International Agreements & Other Instruments
• International Repatriation Assistance
• Legal Authorities for DOI International Programs
• Technical Assistance

International Travel Guidance for DOI Employees

Doi guidance for official international travel .

International travel preparations take several weeks to complete, so travelers should begin the necessary steps as soon as possible. Office of the Secretary personnel can direct questions via Teams Chat or email to the DOI Office of International Affairs Director Karen Senhadji or Senior Advisor Larry Sperling. Bureau personnel may wish to confer with their own international office/ program to determine if additional guidelines or routing are necessary. In addition, travelers may wish to direct specific questions to the particular points of contact listed for the steps below. 

REQUIRED for All DOI International Travelers:

• Submit DOI International Travel Clearance Form (DI-1175). All DOI employees must submit an electronic International Travel Clearance Form (DI-1175) 60-180 days before travel departure date, for all international destinations including cross border travel locations and same day travel to Mexico and Canada. (Travelers who are not DOI employees, such as contractors or invitational travelers, do not require a DI-1175.) The link to the international travel form can be found here: ForeignTravelForms . Please note: If you are outside a DOI or bureau office network, Pulse Secure (VPN) is required to access the form. For travel by political appointees, even if you have permission from your leadership, please notify Karen Senhadji as soon as you learn of the planned travel to facilitate timely reporting and approvals for your trip. Note that all political appointee travel MUST be routed to and approved by the DOI Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of Staff .
• Request your official passport and/or visa.  All DOI employees traveling on official business must do so on an official passport. This is required per both DOI and State Department policy and applies even when just crossing the border for the day or traveling to and from a U.S. territory. Note that an official passport (brown cover) is distinct from a tourist/personal passport (navy blue cover) and that application procedures and guidance differ for each. Passport and visa information that you may find on public-facing Department of State or foreign embassy websites is for tourist passports and visas, and additional steps or different requirements may be applicable to official passports and visas. It normally takes  at least 8-12 weeks to obtain an official passport, and up to three or more weeks for each visa needed from foreign governments, so travelers  must begin this process as soon as possible. To obtain an official passport (new/renewal), an official visa, or to give notification of all travel in order to retrieve an official passport stored by the DOI Passports and Visas Division, please contact the INT Passport and Visa Division with a draft copy of the DI-1175 international travel clearance form or a Concur  (link is external) travel authorization as soon as you know you will need to travel (to all countries, including Canada). The Passports and Visas Division will provide you with guidance on which forms and supplementary materials to complete and submit for processing. The DOI Passports and Visas Division can be contacted at tel. 202-208-5292 , or fax 202-219-9822. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please see the web page of the Passports and Visa Division of the Office of International Affairs .
• Complete required  State Department security training.  The Department of State requires that U.S. government personnel travelling internationally on official business take the online Counter-Threat Awareness Training (CT401/CTAT-formerly known as HSTOS training) before departure. As of April 2023, DOI staff can now complete this training through DOI Talent (Course No. CTAT-OGA-SCO04v2-2020 ). Please start the registration process as soon as you anticipate your travel. Approximate course duration is three hours. Once you complete the course you will be given access to the Completion Certificate to download and/or print. Training completions are considered valid for six years. DOI recommends that you carry this completion certificate with you when traveling outside the United States.  
• Request electronic country clearance (eCC) from the State Department.  All U.S. government travelers who travel on official business internationally must receive approval from the local U.S. Embassy to enter the country. The Electronic Country Clearance must be obtained by submitting an eCC request to the State Department at least two weeks prior to travel. Please contact your bureau or office international travel coordinator for further instructions. 
• Review State Department guidance on travel.  Travelers should consult the State Department travel destinations website for information relevant to their destination, and to learn about any travel alerts or warnings. It is highly recommended that all travelers register for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.  
• Review COVID-19 Requirements.  Please note that countries may apply additional travel restrictions and requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic; check specific  State Department guidance  for the relevant foreign country and be prepared for requirements for re-entry requirements into the United States.
• Check for and get necessary immunizations.  Plan ahead—immunizations may take several weeks to take effect, and some must be administered independently of one another. Each traveler’s medical and health concerns will vary.  It is highly prudent to compare one’s individual health status/concerns with the details available from the Center for Disease Control , and to consult a medical professional. 
• Notify  DOI law enforcement/security office regarding travel by PAS (Senate-confirmed) appointees.  Please note, the Office of Law Enforcement and Security (OLES) must be informed of international travel by PAS (Senate Confirmed) appointees. 
• Notify your personnel security branch if traveling internationally with a Security Clearance (Secret, Top Secret, SCI).  This includes personal travel.
• Be aware of DOI polices on international travel with electronics.  The DI-1175 travel approval form includes a place to specify whether you wish to bring government-furnished electronic equipment with you. Once your bureau has approved your 1175, that will go to the attention of your organization's IT support / Associate Director for Information Resources, who will provide guidance on any security requirements. For background, visit the DOI International Travel with Electronics Advisory Site  (link is external) which contains more information on travelling with electronics, including the official memo for the Department of the Interior Security Requirements for International Travelers and the use of Electronics on International Travel. 
• Ensure compliance with all other federal/DOI travel requirements. In addition to international travel requirements, DOI employees must also complete all of the same documentation and approval procedures that are in place for domestic travel, including compliance with federal travel regulations (i.e. use of U.S. owned airlines to and from the continental U.S; when different classes of travel are permitted and when layovers for travel are allowed etc.) and completion of a travel authorization. (These travel requirements are administered by the Office of Financial Management and are documented in the Departmental Manual Chapter 347 and the DOI Temporary Duty Travel Policy Guidance document. )

RECOMMENDED for all DOI International Travelers

• Confirm health insurance coverage. Travelers should verify international coverage through their personal medical insurance representative, since not all carriers provide coverage overseas. Please note that State Department posts are increasingly requiring U.S. Government travelers to provide proof of medical evacuation insurance to obtain electronic country clearance (eCC). The State Department has provided a list of providers for this service which can be reimbursed as a voucher expense. The traveler should make sure that the coverage purchased meets the criteria for the coverage required by the relevant post.
• Notify bank and credit card companies of travel.  Some banks or credit cards may close an account if they notice unexpected overseas activity. Travelers should contact their bank and credit card companies beforehand to provide the destination and dates of travel, as well as to inquire about any foreign transaction fees that may be applied if the credit or debit card is used outside of the U.S., and whether cards may require the use of a longer pin number or chip.
• Consult the latest exchange rate.  Exchange rates fluctuate. There are many Internet sources to determine the most current exchange rate, such as Currency Converter (link is external).
• Consider requirements for electrical outlets.  Other countries use a number of outlets that are not compatible with standard U.S. electronic devices. There are many internet sources which indicate if adapters are needed, such as the  European Union standards site  (link is external).
• Consider the time difference.  There are many Internet sources to determine the time difference between your home and destination, such as the  World Clock site  (link is external).

Department and Bureau International Travel Contacts

Please note that  bureau employees  must work with their bureau's International Office Travel Contacts to process all of the documents listed above  according to their bureau's policy.  Office of the Secretary and PMB Employees should contact the DOI Office of International Affairs (INT).

Additional Links and Forms

• Federal Travel Regulations regarding Class of Travel and Fly America requirements
• State Department per diems for overseas travel
• State Department telephone directory
• State Department Travel warnings, advisories, and entry requirements
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC) travel notices

Last updated January 2024.

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Note: On April 12, 2024, President Biden revoked the 2021 executive order that had established the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force. As a result, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force no longer exists and this website will no longer be updated. This website is preserved as it existed on April 12, 2024, for archival purposes only.

Official Travel

Federal employees should adhere strictly to CDC guidance for domestic and international travel before, during, and after official travel.

Q: Are there any restrictions on official travel approved by Federal agencies?

A: No. There are no Government-wide limits on official travel (i.e., travel conducted under an official travel authorization) for Federal employees, regardless of their vaccination status. Individuals should follow their agency’s travel policy.

In approving official travel for an individual, agencies should:

• Inform the traveling individual that CDC recommends that individuals make sure they are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines before travel;
• Recommend that the traveling individual consider being tested for current infection with a viral test as close to the time of departure as possible (no more than 3 days) before travel;
• Instruct the traveling individual to adhere strictly to CDC guidance for domestic and international travel before, during, and after official travel;
• Instruct the traveling individual to check their destination’s COVID-19 Community Level before traveling, and to wear a high-quality mask or respirator (such as an N95) while on-duty and around others indoors at their destination, if the COVID-19 Community Level in the county where their destination is located is HIGH;
• Instruct the traveling individual to make sure they understand and follow all travel restrictions put in place by State, Tribal, local, and territorial governments; and
• Advise the traveling individual to prepare to be flexible during their travel, as restrictions, policies, and circumstances may change during their travel.

Heads of agencies should issue specific travel guidance as needed to account for the specific requirements of their agency’s mission.

Q: Should Federal agencies recommend or require employees to complete CDC-recommended COVID-19 testing before and after official travel? Can the expenses associated with this testing be claimed on a travel voucher for employee reimbursement?

A: When CDC recommends that travelers consider COVID-19 testing for current SARS-CoV-2 infection with a viral test prior to or following travel, agencies should recommend to employees traveling on official business that they consider being tested consistent with such CDC guidance. When CDC otherwise recommends or requires COVID-19 testing prior to or following travel, agencies must require employees traveling on official business be tested consistent with such CDC guidance, pursuant to Executive Order 13991. Agencies should provide for any recommended testing and must provide for any required testing associated with official travel at no cost to the employee, such as through the agency’s screening testing program, the agency’s in-house capabilities for diagnostic testing at the worksite, or through an alternative process determined by the agency. The cost of such testing recommended or required for official travel, and not available through a Federal dispensary or not covered (or reimbursable) through travel insurance, can be claimed in a travel voucher as a Miscellaneous Expense under agency travel policies.

Q: Should agencies limit official travel for individuals who have had a known close contact with someone with COVID-19?

A: No. For asymptomatic individuals who have had a known exposure to someone with COVID-19 within the past 10 days, agencies may approve official travel, consistent with the agency’s travel policy. If the individual remains without COVID-19 symptoms before traveling, then pursuant to Executive Order 13991 and consistent with CDC guidance, the agency must instruct the individual to, in addition to other standard pre-travel instructions related to COVID-19:

• Wear a high-quality mask or respirator (such as an N95) the entire time they are on-duty and around others indoors for the full duration of their travel that falls within the 10 full days after their last known exposure;
• Not travel on public transportation such as airplanes, buses, and trains if they will not be able to wear a high-quality mask or respirator (such as an N95) when around others indoors for the full duration of their travel within the 10 full days after their last known exposure; and
• Follow other aspects of post-exposure protocols , including the requirement for individuals with a known exposure to be tested for COVID-19 after 5 full days following their last known exposure (ideally, on or after day 6)—note that this testing may need to occur while the individual is traveling, and that agencies do not need to require that employees wait for the results of this post-exposure diagnostic test to undertake official travel, including return travel.

If the individual develops COVID-19 symptoms after official travel has been approved, then pursuant to Executive Order 13991 and consistent with CDC guidance, the agency must instruct the individual to not undertake further official travel, including under that previously approved travel authorization, and to instead follow agency protocols consistent with Safer Federal Workforce Task Force guidance on travel for individuals with COVID-19 symptoms.

Q: What should agencies do regarding official travel for individuals who develop COVID-19 symptoms or have a positive viral test 10 full days or less prior to their intended departure date?

A: Pursuant to Executive Order 13991 and consistent with CDC guidance, agencies must not approve official travel (i.e., travel conducted under an official travel authorization) for individuals who have COVID-19 symptoms and are waiting for an initial diagnostic viral test result, and agencies must not approve official travel for individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 for at least 5 full days after their first day of symptoms, or after the date of the initial positive diagnostic viral test for asymptomatic individuals.

If an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 has returned to working onsite at an agency workplace or interacting with members of the public as part of their official responsibilities (once they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and their other symptoms are improving), then the agency may approve official travel for the individual.

Pursuant to Executive Order 13991 and consistent with CDC guidance on isolation, the agency must instruct the individual to, in addition to other standard pre-travel instructions related to COVID-19:

• Wear a high-quality mask or respirator (such as an N95) the entire time they are on-duty and around others indoors for the full duration of their travel that falls within the period they are otherwise required to wear a high-quality mask or respirator after ending isolation , consistent with Safer Federal Workforce Task Force guidance;
• Not travel on public transportation such as airplanes, buses, and trains if they will not be able to wear a high-quality mask or respirator (such as an N95) when around others indoors for the full duration of their travel that falls within the period they are otherwise required to wear a high-quality mask or respirator after ending isolation , consistent with Safer Federal Workforce Task Force guidance; and
• Follow other aspects of post-isolation protocols .

If after official travel has been approved, the individual’s COVID-19 symptoms recur or worsen, then pursuant to Executive Order 13991 and consistent with CDC guidance on isolation, agencies must instruct the individual to not undertake further official travel, including under any previously approved travel authorization, and to again not enter a Federal facility or interact with members of the public as part of their official responsibilities, restarting at day 0 of isolation protocols.

Q: What should agencies do if an employee has probable or confirmed COVID-19 while on official travel?

A: If an employee has probable or confirmed COVID-19 while on official travel (i.e., travel conducted under an official travel authorization), then pursuant to Executive Order 13991 and consistent with CDC guidance, agencies must instruct the individual to follow agency isolation protocols and not undertake further official travel, including return travel, for at least 5 full days after their first day of symptoms, or after the date of the initial positive diagnostic viral test for asymptomatic individuals. The agency must cover all costs associated with travel and lodging expenses, as well as the cost of any diagnostic testing, in these circumstances, to the extent permitted by the Federal Travel Regulation.

After that point, once the individual is fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and their other symptoms are improving, then the agency may instruct the individual that they can proceed with undertaking further travel, including return travel. Pursuant to Executive Order 13991 and consistent with CDC guidance on isolation, the agency must then instruct the individual to, in addition to other standard pre-travel instructions related to COVID-19:

If at any point prior to their return travel the individual’s COVID-19 symptoms recur or worsen, agencies must instruct the individual to not undertake further official travel, including return travel, and to not enter a Federal facility or interact with members of the public as part of their official responsibilities, restarting at day 0 of isolation protocols, consistent with Executive Order 13991 and CDC recommendations on isolation and the protocols set forth by their agency.

The agency must cover all costs associated with travel and lodging expenses, as well as the cost of any diagnostic testing, in these circumstances, to the extent permitted by the Federal Travel Regulation.

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Travel Guide Table of Contents

Updated travel guidance for gsa employees (07/13/2021).

On July 13, 2021, GSA published updated travel guidance for all employees.

• First Time Travel Guide
• 1 - Get access to Concur
• 2 - Get a GSA Travel Card
• 3 - Update your Concur Profile
• Individual travel email template
• Group travel email template
• What if I am traveling for multiple projects?
• What if I am attending a training, conference, speaking event, or other "IRL" or large team gathering?
• What if I am extending travel for personal reasons?
• What if I am returning to traveling from a location other than home?
• International travel
• Estimating expenses
• Book your flight or rail
• Book lodging
• Can I book lodging outside of Concur
• Booking a rental car
• Completing trip information
• Justify any rental car use or personal vehicle mileage claims
• , external, TTS-only, TTS Travel approval checklist
• Stamping and Submitting for Travel Team Approval
• , external, TTS-only, Unofficial TTS guide to Concur FAILS
• How do I use the GSA travel card?
• Which receipts do I need to keep?
• Meals and Incidental Expenses
• Voucher from authorization (all non-local travel)
• Local and miscellaneous vouchers
• Enter Expenses
• Meals paid on the travel card
• Extra days at personal expense
• Flights or Amtrak booked outside of Concur
• Local transportation
• Issues with reimbursement
• Amending vouchers
• Appendix A: Amended authorizations
• Appendix B: After hours and emergency travel procedures
• Travel Guide FAQ

GSA resources

• Federal Travel Regulation
• TTS-only, GSA travel policy
• GSA City Pairs Program FAQ
• TTS-only, GSA travel card policy
• GSA local travel policy
• TTS-only, GSA travel advances policy
• GSA conference and event policy
• , external, GSA official guide to Concur
• Business Applications Service Desk (Concur Helpdesk): (866) 450-6588, press 2 or [email protected]
• , external, TTS-only, #travel
• , external, [email protected]
• , external, Book office hours

Handbook.tts.gsa.gov

An official website of the U.S. General Services Administration

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Employee Travel

USDA offers its employees who are traveling on official business special services and discounts to assist with their travel needs.

GSA SmartPay

The GSA SmartPay Program provides agencies with travel payment solutions. The current SmartPay 2 Government Travel Charge Card contract will expire on November 29 th , 2018 and the new SmartPay 3 contract will begin on November 30 th , 2018. Please visit ocfo.usda.gov/travel-express/TravelCard for information such as milestones and answers to frequently asked questions to support USDA’s transition from SmartPay 2 to SmartPay 3.

GSA Travel Resources

USDA travelers use special government hotel rates, tax exemptions, and airfare discounts. Employees must also follow federal travel regulations when working out-of-town.

International Travel Instructions

USDA Travelers who plan on traveling internationally for USDA must obtain official passports and visas through the FAS International Travel Section (ITS).

Travel Benefits and Services

The U.S. General Services Administration offers many travel services and special programs for federal agencies and employees.

Travel Directives

USDA has travel policies for its employees which supplement the Federal Travel Regulation.

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International Travel

Where can i find more information about preparations for international travel.

The following resources can help:

• Travelers' Health  (Centers for Disease Control)
• Travel Advisories  (State Department)
• Learn About Your Destination (State Department)
• Five Tips to Travel Smart from the Start (State Department)
• International Travel Tips  (Customs & Border Protection)
• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Tips  (USDA)
• Spraying Aircraft for Insects — Disinsection  (Centers for Disease Control)

Does FAA provide safety oversight for international flights?

Under the International Convention on Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) each country is responsible for the safety oversight of its own air carriers. Other countries can only conduct specific surveillance activities, principally involving inspection of required documents and the physical condition of aircraft.

FAA conducts the  International Aviation Safety Assessment Program  (IASA), assessing the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of each country that has carriers operating to the United States. Because of the provisions of the Chicago Convention and national sovereignty, FAA is not permitted to evaluate a foreign carrier within its own sovereign state.

An IASA assessment determines if the foreign CAA provides oversight to its carriers that operate to the United States according to international standards. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations agency, and Annexes 1, 6, and 8 of the Chicago Convention develop those standards.

If the CAA meets standards, FAA gives that authority a Category 1 rating.

• Category 1 means the air carriers from the assessed state may initiate or continue service to the United States in a normal manner and take part in reciprocal code-share arrangements with U.S. carriers.
• IASA ratings  are released to the public.

What happens if a CAA does not meet ICAO standards?

If the CAA does not meet standards, FAA gives that CAA a Category 2 rating.

• Category 2 means the air carriers from the assessed state cannot initiate new service and are restricted to current levels of any existing service to the United States while corrective actions are underway.
• FAA does not support reciprocal code-share arrangements between air carriers for the assessed state and U.S. carriers when the CAA has been rated Category 2. During this time, the foreign air carrier serving the United States is subject to additional inspections at U.S. airports.

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• Operating Status

Resources For

• New / Prospective Employees
• Federal Employees
• HR Professionals

Compensatory Time Off for Travel - Questions & Answers to Fact Sheet

• Q1. What is compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Compensatory time off for travel is a separate form of compensatory time off that may be earned by an employee for time spent in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable.
• Q2. Are all employees covered by this provision? View more A. The compensatory time off provision applies to an "employee" as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5541(2) who is employed in an "Executive agency" as defined in 5 U.S.C. 105, without regard to whether the employee is exempt from or covered by the overtime pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended. For example, this includes employees in senior-level (SL) and scientific or professional (ST) positions, but not members of the Senior Executive Service or Senior Foreign Service or Foreign Service officers. Effective April 27, 2008, prevailing rate (wage) employees are covered under the compensatory time off for travel provision. (See CPM 2008-04 .)
• Q3. Are intermittent employees eligible to earn compensatory time off for travel? View more A. No. Compensatory time off for travel may be used by an employee when the employee is granted time off from his or her scheduled tour of duty established for leave purposes. (See 5 CFR 550.1406(b).) Also see the definition of "scheduled tour of duty for leave purposes" in 5 CFR 550.1403. Employees who are on intermittent work schedules are not eligible to earn and use compensatory time off for travel because they do not have a scheduled tour of duty for leave purposes.
• Q4. What qualifies as travel for the purpose of this provision? View more A. To qualify for this purpose, travel must be officially authorized. In other words, travel must be for work purposes and must be approved by an authorized agency official or otherwise authorized under established agency policies. (Also see Q5.)
• Q5. May an employee earn compensatory time off when he or she travels in conjunction with the performance of union representational duties? View more A. No. The term "travel" is defined at 5 CFR 550.1403 to mean officially authorized travel—i.e., travel for work purposes approved by an authorized agency official or otherwise authorized under established agency policies. The definition specifically excludes time spent traveling in connection with union activities. The term "travel for work purposes" is intended to mean travel for agency-related work purposes. Thus, employees who travel in connection with union activities are not entitled to earn compensatory time off for travel because they are traveling for the benefit of the union, and not for agency-related work purposes.
• Q6. An employee receives compensatory time off for travel only for those hours spent in a travel status. What qualifies as time in a travel status? View more A. Travel status includes only the time actually spent traveling between the official duty station and a temporary duty station, or between two temporary duty stations, and the usual waiting time that precedes or interrupts such travel.
• Q7. Is travel in connection with a permanent change of station (PCS) creditable for compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Although PCS travel is officially authorized travel, it is not travel between an official duty station and a temporary duty station or between two temporary duty stations. Therefore, it is not considered time in a travel status for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel.
• Q8. What is meant by "usual waiting time"? View more A. Airline travelers generally are required to arrive at the airport at a designated pre-departure time (e.g., 1 or 2 hours before the scheduled departure, depending on whether the flight is domestic or international). Such waiting time at the airport is considered usual waiting time and is creditable time in a travel status. In addition, time spent at an intervening airport waiting for a connecting flight (e.g., 1 or 2 hours) also is creditable time in a travel status. In all cases, determinations regarding what is creditable as "usual waiting time" are within the sole and exclusive discretion of the employing agency.
• Q9. What if an employee experiences an "extended" waiting period? View more A. If an employee experiences an unusually long wait prior to his or her initial departure or between actual periods of travel during which the employee is free to rest, sleep, or otherwise use the time for his or her own purposes, the extended waiting time outside the employee's regular working hours is not creditable time in a travel status. An extended waiting period that occurs during an employee's regular working hours is compensable as part of the employee's regularly scheduled administrative workweek.
• Q10. Do meal periods count as time in a travel status? View more A. Meal periods during actual travel time or waiting time are not specifically excluded from creditable time in a travel status for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel. However, determinations regarding what is creditable as "usual waiting time" are within the sole and exclusive discretion of the employing agency.
• Q11. What happens once an employee reaches a temporary duty station? View more A. Time spent at a temporary duty station between arrival and departure is not creditable travel time for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel. Time in a travel status ends when the employee arrives at the temporary duty worksite or his or her lodging in the temporary duty station, wherever the employee arrives first. Time in a travel status resumes when an employee departs from the temporary duty worksite or his or her lodging in the temporary duty station, wherever the employee departs last.
• Q12. When is it appropriate for an agency to offset creditable time in a travel status by the amount of time the employee spends in normal commuting between home and work? View more A. If an employee travels directly between his or her home and a temporary duty station outside the limits of the employee's official duty station (e.g., driving to and from a 3-day conference), the agency must deduct the employee's normal home-to-work/work-to-home commuting time from the creditable travel time. The agency must also deduct an employee's normal commuting time from the creditable travel time if the employee is required—outside of regular working hours—to travel between home and a transportation terminal (e.g., an airport or train station) outside the limits of the employee's official duty station.
• Q13. What if an employee travels to a transportation terminal within the limits of his or her official duty station? View more A. An employee's time spent traveling outside of regular working hours to or from a transportation terminal within the limits of his or her official duty station is considered equivalent to commuting time and is not creditable time in a travel status for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel.
• Q14. What if an employee travels from a worksite to a transportation terminal? View more A. If an employee travels between a worksite and a transportation terminal, the travel time outside regular working hours is creditable as time in a travel status, and no commuting time offset applies. For example, after completing his or her workday, an employee may travel directly from the regular worksite to an airport to attend an out-of-town meeting the following morning. The travel time between the regular worksite and the airport is creditable as time in a travel status.
• Q15. What if an employee elects to travel at a time other than the time selected by the agency? View more A. When an employee travels at a time other than the time selected by the agency, the agency must determine the estimated amount of time in a travel status the employee would have had if the employee had traveled at the time selected by the agency. The agency must credit the employee with the lesser of (1) the estimated time in a travel status the employee would have had if the employee had traveled at the time selected by the agency, or (2) the employee's actual time in a travel status at a time other than that selected by the agency.
• Q16. How is an employee's travel time calculated for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel when the travel involves two or more time zones? View more A. When an employee's travel involves two or more time zones, the time zone from point of first departure must be used to determine how many hours the employee actually spent in a travel status for the purpose of accruing compensatory time off for travel. For example, if an employee travels from his official duty station in Washington, DC, to a temporary duty station in San Francisco, CA, the Washington, DC, time zone must be used to determine how many hours the employee spent in a travel status. However, on the return trip to Washington, DC, the time zone from San Francisco, CA, must be used to calculate how many hours the employee spent in a travel status.
• Q17. How is compensatory time off for travel earned and credited? View more A. Compensatory time off for travel is earned for qualifying time in a travel status. Agencies may authorize credit in increments of one-tenth of an hour (6 minutes) or one-quarter of an hour (15 minutes). Agencies must track and manage compensatory time off for travel separately from other forms of compensatory time off.
• Q18. Is there a limitation on the amount of compensatory time off for travel an employee may earn? View more A. No.
• Q19. How does an employee request credit for compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Agencies may establish procedures for requesting credit for compensatory time off for travel. An employee must comply with his or her agency's procedures for requesting credit of compensatory time off, and the employee must file a request for such credit within the time period established by the agency. An employee's request for credit of compensatory time off for travel may be denied if the request is not filed within the time period required by the agency.
• Q20. Is there a form employees must fill out for requests to earn or use compensatory time off for travel? View more A. There is not a Governmentwide form used for requests to earn or use compensatory time off for travel. However, an agency may choose to develop a form as part of its internal policies and procedures.
• Q21. How does an employee use accrued compensatory time off for travel? View more A. An employee must request permission from his or her supervisor to schedule the use of his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel in accordance with agency policies and procedures. Compensatory time off for travel may be used when the employee is granted time off from his or her scheduled tour of duty established for leave purposes. Employees must use accrued compensatory time off for travel in increments of one-tenth of an hour (6 minutes) or one-quarter of an hour (15 minutes).
• Q22. In what order should agencies charge compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Agencies must charge compensatory time off for travel in the chronological order in which it was earned, with compensatory time off for travel earned first being charged first.
• Q23. How long does an employee have to use accrued compensatory time off for travel? View more A. An employee must use his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned or the employee must forfeit such compensatory time off, except in certain circumstances. (See Q24 and Q25 for exceptions.)
• Q24. What if an employee is unable to use his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel because of uniformed service or an on-the-job injury with entitlement to injury compensation? View more A. Unused compensatory time off for travel will be held in abeyance for an employee who separates, or is placed in a leave without pay status, and later returns following (1) separation or leave without pay to perform service in the uniformed services (as defined in 38 U.S.C. 4303 and 5 CFR 353.102) and a return to service through the exercise of a reemployment right or (2) separation or leave without pay due to an on-the-job injury with entitlement to injury compensation under 5 U.S.C. chapter 81. The employee must use all of the compensatory time off for travel held in abeyance by the end of the 26th pay period following the pay period in which the employee returns to duty, or such compensatory time off for travel will be forfeited.
• Q25. What if an employee is unable to use his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel because of an exigency of the service beyond the employee's control? View more A. If an employee fails to use his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel before the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned due to an exigency of the service beyond the employee's control, the head of an agency, at his or her sole and exclusive discretion, may extend the time limit for up to an additional 26 pay periods.
• Q26. May unused compensatory time off for travel be restored if an employee does not use it by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned? View more A. Except in certain circumstances (see Q24 and Q25), any compensatory time off for travel not used by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned must be forfeited.
• Q27. What happens to an employee's unused compensatory time off for travel upon separation from Federal service? View more A. Except in certain circumstances (see Q24), an employee must forfeit all unused compensatory time off for travel upon separation from Federal service.
• Q28. May an employee receive a lump-sum payment for accrued compensatory time off for travel upon separation from an agency? View more A. No. The law prohibits payment for unused compensatory time off for travel under any circumstances.
• Q29. What happens to an employee's accrued compensatory time off for travel upon transfer to another agency? View more A. When an employee voluntarily transfers to another agency (including a promotion or change to lower grade action), the employee must forfeit all of his or her unused compensatory time off for travel.
• Q30. What happens to an employee's accrued compensatory time off for travel when the employee moves to a position that is not covered by the regulations in 5 CFR part 550, subpart N? View more A. When an employee moves to a position in an agency not covered by the compensatory time off for travel provisions (e.g., the United States Postal Service), the employee must forfeit all of his or her unused compensatory time off for travel. However, the gaining agency may use its own legal authority to give the employee credit for such compensatory time off.
• Q31. Is compensatory time off for travel considered in applying the premium pay and aggregate pay caps? View more A. No. Compensatory time off for travel may not be considered in applying the biweekly or annual premium pay limitations established under 5 U.S.C. 5547 or the aggregate limitation on pay established under 5 U.S.C. 5307.
• Q32. When are criminal investigators who receive availability pay precluded from earning compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Compensatory time off for travel is earned only for hours not otherwise compensable. The term "compensable" is defined at 5 CFR 550.1403 to include any hours of a type creditable under other compensation provisions, even if there are compensation caps limiting the payment of premium pay for those hours (e.g., the 25 percent cap on availability pay and the biweekly premium pay cap). For availability pay recipients, this means hours of travel are not creditable as time in a travel status for compensatory time off purposes if the hours are (1) compensated by basic pay, (2) regularly scheduled overtime hours creditable under 5 U.S.C. 5542, or (3) "unscheduled duty hours" as described in 5 CFR 550.182(a), (c), and (d).
• Q33. What constitutes "unscheduled duty hours" as described in 5 CFR 550.182(a), (c), and (d)? View more A. Under the availability pay regulations, unscheduled duty hours include (1) all irregular overtime hours—i.e., overtime work not scheduled in advance of the employee's administrative workweek, (2) the first 2 overtime hours on any day containing part of the employee's basic 40-hour workweek, without regard to whether the hours are unscheduled or regularly scheduled, and (3) any approved nonwork availability hours. However, special agents in the Diplomatic Security Service of the Department of State may count only hours actually worked as unscheduled duty hours.
• Q34. Why are criminal investigators who receive availability pay precluded from earning compensatory time off when they travel during unscheduled duty hours? View more A. The purpose of availability pay is to ensure the availability of criminal investigators (and certain similar law enforcement employees) for unscheduled duty in excess of a 40-hour workweek based on the needs of the employing agency. Availability pay compensates an employee for all unscheduled duty hours. Compensatory time off for travel is earned only for hours not otherwise compensable. Thus, availability pay recipients may not earn compensatory time off for travel during unscheduled duty hours because the employees are entitled to availability pay for those hours.

A. When an employee who receives availability pay is required to travel on a non-workday or on a regular workday (during hours that exceed the employee's basic 8-hour workday), and the travel does not meet one of the four criteria in 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2)(B) and 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2), the travel time is not compensable as overtime hours of work under regular overtime or availability pay. Thus, the employee may earn compensatory time off for such travel, subject to the exclusion specified in 5 CFR 550.1404(b)(2) and the requirements in 5 CFR 550.1404(c),(d), and (e).

Under the provisions in 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2)(B) and 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2), travel time is compensable as overtime hours of work if the travel is away from the employee's official duty station and—

(i) involves the performance of work while traveling, (ii) is incident to travel that involves the performance of work while traveling, (iii) is carried out under arduous conditions, or (iv) results from an event which could not be scheduled or controlled administratively.

The phrase "an event which could not be scheduled or controlled administratively" refers to the ability of an agency in the Executive Branch of the United States Government to control the scheduling of an event which necessitates an employee's travel. If the employing agency or another Executive Branch agency has any control over the scheduling of the event, including by means of approval of a contract for it, then the event is administratively controllable, and the travel to and from the event cannot be credited as overtime hours of work.

For example, an interagency conference sponsored by the Department of Justice would be considered a joint endeavor of the participating Executive Branch agencies and within their administrative control. Under these circumstances, the travel time outside an employee's regular working hours is not compensable as overtime hours of work under regular overtime or availability pay. Therefore, the employee may earn compensatory time off for such travel, subject to the exclusion specified in 5 CFR 550.1404(b)(2) and the requirements in 5 CFR 550.1404(c), (d), and (e).

• Q36. If an employee is required to travel on a Federal holiday (or an "in lieu of" holiday), is the employee entitled to receive compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Although most employees do not receive holiday premium pay for time spent traveling on a holiday (or an "in lieu of" holiday), an employee continues to be entitled to pay for the holiday in the same manner as if the travel were not required. Thus, an employee may not earn compensatory time off for travel during basic (non-overtime) holiday hours because the employee is entitled to his or her rate of basic pay for those hours. Compensatory time off for travel may be earned by an employee only for time spent in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable.
• Q37. If an employee's regularly scheduled tour of duty is Sunday through Thursday and the employee is required to travel on a Sunday during regular working hours, is the employee entitled to earn compensatory time off for travel? View more A. No. Compensatory time off for travel may be earned by an employee only for time spent in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable. Thus, an employee may not earn compensatory time off for travel for traveling on a workday during regular working hours because the employee is receiving his or her rate of basic pay for those hours.
• Q38. May an agency change an employee's work schedule for travel purposes? View more A. An agency may not adjust the regularly scheduled administrative workweek that normally applies to an employee (part-time or full-time) solely for the purpose of including planned travel time not otherwise considered compensable hours of work. However, an employee is entitled to earn compensatory time off for travel for time spent in a travel status when such time is not otherwise compensable.
• Q39. Is time spent traveling creditable as credit hours for an employee who is authorized to earn credit hours under an alternative work schedule? View more A. Credit hours are hours an employee elects to work, with supervisory approval, in excess of the employee's basic work requirement under a flexible work schedule. Under certain conditions, an agency may permit an employee to earn credit hours by performing productive and essential work while in a travel status. See OPM's fact sheet on credit hours  for the conditions that must be met. If those conditions are met and the employee does earn credit hours for travel, the time spent traveling would be compensable and the employee would not be eligible to earn compensatory time off for travel. If the conditions are not met, the employee would be eligible to earn compensatory time off for travel.
• Q40. May an agency restore an employee's forfeited "use-or-lose" annual leave because the employee elected to use earned compensatory time off for travel instead of using his or her excess annual leave? View more A. Section 6304(d) of title 5, United States Code, prescribes the conditions under which an employee's forfeited annual leave may be restored to an employee. (See fact sheet on restoration of annual leave .) There is no legal authority to restore an employee's forfeited annual leave because the employee elected to use earned compensatory time off for travel instead of using his or her excess annual leave.

A. No. Compensatory time off for travel may be earned by an employee only for time spent in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable. The term "compensable" is defined at 5 CFR 550.1403 to make clear what periods of time are "not otherwise compensable" and thus potentially creditable for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel. Time is considered compensable if the time is creditable as hours of work for the purpose of determining a specific pay entitlement (e.g., overtime pay for travel meeting one of the four criteria in 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2)) even when the time may not actually generate additional compensation because of applicable pay limitations (e.g., biweekly premium pay cap). The capped premium pay is considered complete compensation for all hours of work creditable under the premium pay provisions.

In other words, even though an employee may not receive overtime pay for all of his or her travel hours because of the biweekly premium pay cap, all of the travel time is still considered to be compensable under 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2). Under these circumstances, the employee has been compensated fully under the law for all of the travel hours and the employee may not earn compensatory time off for any portion of such travel not generating additional compensation because of the biweekly cap on premium pay.

• Q42. May an employee who receives administratively uncontrollable overtime (AUO) pay under 5 U.S.C. 5545(c)(2) earn compensatory time off for travel? View more A. If such employee's travel time is not compensable under 5 CFR 550.112(g) or 5 CFR 551.422, as applicable, and meets the requirements in 5 CFR part 550, subpart N, the employee is eligible to earn compensatory time off for travel for time spent in a travel status.
• Q43. If a part-time employee's regularly scheduled tour of duty is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and the employee is required to travel on a Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., is the employee entitled to earn compensatory time off for travel for those 2 hours? View more A. It depends. If the travel qualifies as compensable hours of work under 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2)(B) and 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2)—i.e., the travel involves or is incident to the performance of actual work, is carried out under arduous and unusual conditions, or results from an event which could not be scheduled or controlled administratively—the employee may not be credited with compensatory time off for travel hours. (Such travel time outside a part-time employee's scheduled tour of duty, but not in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, would be non-overtime hours of work compensated at the employee's rate of basic pay.) If the travel time does not qualify as compensable hours of work and meets the other requirements in 5 CFR part 550, subpart N, the part-time employee would be entitled to earn compensatory time off for those 2 hours. We note travel time is always compensable hours of work if it falls within an employee's regularly scheduled administrative workweek. (See 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2)(A) and 5 CFR 550.112(g)(1).) For a part-time employee, the regularly scheduled administrative workweek is defined in 5 CFR 550.103 as the officially prescribed days and hours within an administrative workweek during which the employee was scheduled to work in advance of the workweek. An agency may not adjust the regularly scheduled administrative workweek normally applied to an employee (part-time or full-time) solely for the purpose of including planned travel time otherwise not considered compensable hours of work.
• Q44. Does an upgrade in travel accommodations impact an employee's entitlement to compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Allowing an employee to upgrade his or her travel accommodations (e.g., to business class) does not eliminate his or her eligibility to earn compensatory time off for travel.

Update May 10, 2024

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• National Media Release

CBP Recognizes Outstanding Employees During Annual Awards Ceremony

WASHINGTON  –U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recognized outstanding employee performance April 22 in the first in-person Commissioner’s Annual Award Ceremony since 2019, in Washington, D.C. 

“The people and accomplishments we are recognizing are representative of the amazing things CBP does every single day, across the country, and around the world,” said Troy A. Miller, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner. “Thank you to every single member of the CBP workforce. You keep our borders secure. You prevent dangerous people, drugs, and weapons from entering our communities. You facilitate legitimate trade and travel; and remain dedicated to providing for the security and safety of our nation and its citizens.”  

The ceremony is part of Miller’s focus on mental well-being of the CBP workforce, focusing on employee morale and improved resiliency communications. During the ceremony, CBP presented awards to 294 employees across 21 categories, including recognition for heroism, safety, integrity, best practices, volunteer service, and leadership. Awards included both individual and team performance. 

CBP’s most prestigious award, the Medal of Honor for Heroism, was awarded to Warren J. Becker, III, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent, out of Del Rio, Texas, and Jorge L. Santiago, Marine Interdiction Agent, Air and Marine Operations, Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, for extraordinary bravery, gallantry, or valor, going above the call of duty while knowingly risking personal safety. 

Miller also took time to thank the CBP family members, emphasizing the importance of their support.  

“I want to take a moment to show appreciation for the CBP families, many of whom are here with us today,” Miller said. “As you know, when one serves, the whole family serves. Your support and sacrifice are key to our continued success, and so these achievements are yours, too.”  

The employees presented with awards include: 

Medal of Honor for Heroism 

Warren J. Becker, III, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Del Rio, Texas   

Jorge L. Santiago, Marine Interdiction Agent, Air and Marine Operations, Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico   

Meritorious Award for Valor 

Mark A. Lamphere, Jr., Marine Interdiction Agent, Air and Marine Operations, Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico   

Adam J. Perkins, Border Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Baileyville, Maine   

Integrity Award 

Joey Hwang, Management and Program Analyst, Office of the Chief Counsel, Minneapolis, Minnesota 

Bruce Ingalls, Director, Revenue Division, Office of Finance, Indianapolis, Indiana    

Leadership Award 

Chuck Cowan, Aviation Group Supervisor, Air and Marine Operations, Jacksonville, Florida   

Sarah Pank, Associate Director, Human Capital Branch, Administrative Services Division, Enterprise Services, Indianapolis, Indiana   

Special Recognition Award 

World Customs Organization (WCO) Secretary General Campaign Team, Office of International Affairs, International Operations 

Team Members: Emily Barragan, Senior Policy Advisor (Program Manager), Office of Field Operations, Los Angeles, California; Mark Bazill, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol Christina Bell, Senior Advisor (Program Manager), Office of International Affairs, Washington, DC; John Connors, Customs and Border Protection Deputy Attaché, Office of International Affairs, Brussels, Belgium; Kristie McKinney, Director (Supervisory International Relations Specialist), Office of International Affairs, Washington, DC; Nate Peeters, Branch Chief (Supervisory Management and Program Analyst), Office of Trade, Washington, DC; Justin Ratliff, Customs and Border Protection International Representative (Advisor), Office of International Affairs, Brussels, Belgium; Chole Riedel, Customs and Border Protection Attaché, Office of International Affairs, Brussels, Belgium; Debbie Seguin, Assistant Commissioner, Office of International Affairs, Washington, DC; Sara Shaw, Deputy Executive Director (Supervisory Program Manager), Office of International Affairs, Washington, DC; Lorin Smith, Branch Chief (Supervisory Strategic Communications Specialist), Office of International Affairs, Washington, DC; Jon Underdahl-Peirce, International Relations Specialist, Office of International Affairs, Washington, DC 

Best Practices, Innovation, and Efficiency Award 

Digital A-File Team, Office of Field Operations 

Team Members: Bonnie Arellano, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Tucson, Arizona; Emilia Bakopoulos, Director, Traveler Policy, Office of Field Operations, Washington, DC; Celina Candelaria, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, El Paso, Texas; Adriana Carranza, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, El Paso, Texas; Lorenzo Chavez, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, El Paso, Texas; Jonathan Cichy, Customs and Border Protection Officer (Enforcement), Office of Field Operations, Chicago, Illinois; Art Cortinas, Supervisory Information Technology Specialist, Office of Information and Technology, El Paso, Texas; Justin Crofts, Senior Attorney, Office of the Chief Counsel, San Antonio, Texas; Stephanie Cuevas, Customs and Border Protection Officer (Program Manager), Office of Field Operations, San Francisco, California; Delorean Dhillon, Customs and Border Protection Officer (Program Manager), Office of Field Operations, Washington, DC; Mark Ficco, Information Technology Specialist, Office of Information and Technology, Ashburn, Virginia; Guillermo Franco, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, El Paso, Texas; Fernando Gamez, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, El Paso, Texas; Nate Johnson, Customs and Border Protection Officer (Program Manager), Office of Field Operations, Detroit, Michigan; Jack McFarland, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Nogales, Arizona; Rocio Mora, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, San Francisco, California; Jeffrey Niverson, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Nogales, Arizona; Oscar Trochez, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Nogales, Arizona; Laura Vasquez, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Nogales, Arizona; Emmanuel Vejar, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Nogales, Arizona; Roberto Venegas, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, El Paso, Texas; Shae Weathersbee, General Attorney, Office of the Chief Counsel, Washington, DC 

Partnering and Stakeholder Engagement Award 

Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) Case 7657 Transshipment Team, Office of Trade   

Team Members: Donald Anderson, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer (Attaché), Office of International Affairs, Singapore; Victoria Cho, Supervisory International Trade Officer, Office of Trade, Washington, DC; Steven Emilius, Paralegal Specialist, Office of Trade, Washington, DC; Kristina Horgan, Supervisory International Trade Analyst, Office of Trade, Washington, DC; Kevin Janiszeski, Supervisory Import Specialist, Office of Field Operations, Buffalo, New York; Ruth Kourafas, Supervisory Auditor, Office of Trade, Boston, Massachusetts; Tamari Lagvilava, Senior Attorney, Office of the Chief Counsel, Washington, DC; Courtney LeBlanc, Auditor, Office of Trade, Boston, Massachusetts; Tina Maria Martell, Import Specialist, Office of Field Operations, Detroit, Michigan; Brian McCarthy, National Program Manager, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Cody Miller, Import Specialist, Office of Field Operations, Charlotte, North Carolina; Tara Mircovich, Import Specialist, Office of Field Operations, Newark, New Jersey; Jennifer Petelle, Senior Attorney, Office of the Chief Counsel, Washington, DC; Paul Walker, International Trade Analyst, Office of Trade, Washington, DC; Jeffrey D. Wenc, Auditor, Office of Trade, Boston, Massachusetts; Katrina Williams, Import Specialist, Office of Field Operations, San Francisco, California; Cinthya Zeballos, Import Specialist, Office of Field Operations, Long Beach, California 

Unsung Heroes Award 

Andrea M. Allen, Staff Assistant, Office of the Chief Counsel, Chicago, Illinois    

David Dalton, Accountant, Office of the Commissioner, Office of Finance, Indianapolis, Indiana     

Diana Dean and Jose Melendez-Perez Anti-Terrorism Award 

Chicago Field Office Tactical Terrorism Response Team and Task Force Officer, Office of Field Operations 

Team Members: Michael Nagy, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Chicago, Illinois; Jack Tripoli, IV, Task Force Officer (Customs and Border Protection Officer (JTTF/CITF)), Office of Field Operations, Chicago, Illinois  

Del Rio Sector Counter Terrorism Unit, United States Border Patrol   

Team Members: Marcos Gonzalez, Special Operations Supervisor (Supervisory Border Patrol Agent), United States Border Patrol, Del Rio, Texas; Martin Klaffka, Jr., Border Patrol Agent – Intelligence, United States Border Patrol, Brackettville, Texas; Emilio Lopez, Border Patrol Agent – Intelligence, United States Border Patrol, Uvalde, Texas; Gregory Serwatka, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Del Rio, Texas; Muriel Thompson, Jr., Border Patrol Agent – Intelligence, United States Border Patrol, Eagle Pass, Texas; Luis Valdez, Border Patrol Agent – Intelligence, United States Border Patrol, Del Rio, Texas 

Workforce Engagement and Inclusion Award 

Laredo Sector Border Community Liaison Unit, United States Border Patrol  

Team Members: Carolina Machado, Border Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Laredo, Texas; Carlos Pantoja, Border Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Laredo, Texas 

Petroleum Center Special Emphasis Committee, Office of Field Operations  

Team Members: Karen Cayea, Customs Entry Officer, Office of Field Operations, Champlain, New York; Sirusha Cockrell, Import Specialist, Office of Field Operations, Rosemont, Illinois; Marc Dolor, Import Specialist, Office of Field Operations, San Francisco, California; Barbara Herman, Import Specialist, Office of Field Operations; David McGurk, Center Director, Office of Field Operations, Houston, Texas; David Rivosecchi, Customs Entry Officer, Office of Field Operations, Jamaica, New York; Russell Van Orman, Import Specialist, Office of Field Operations, Portland, Oregon; Allene Wilcox, Import Specialist, Office of Field Operations, Buffalo, New York; Roy Yoon, Supervisory Import Specialist, Office of Field Operations, St. Albans, Vermont 

Excellence in Mission Support Award 

Jacqueline Chaney, Mission Support Specialist, Air and Marine Operations, Jacksonville, Florida 

Title 42, Southwest Border Task Force, Enterprise Services  

Team Members: Angie Bartow, Deputy Executive Director, Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Green Lake, Wisconsin; Nolan Brown, Contract Specialist, Office of Acquisition, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC; Ryan Bruce, Program Manager, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Enterprise Services, Euless, Texas; Jacob Burns, Supervisory Contract Specialist, Office of Acquisition, Enterprise Services, Indianapolis, Indiana; Richard Chavez, National Capital Regional Director, Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Del Rio, Texas; Zachary Evans, Program Manager, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC; Angela Flanagan, Deputy Executive Director, Enterprise Infrastructure and Operations, Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Robert Gillis, Program Manager, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Enterprise Services, Laguna Niguel, California; Mark Gomes, West Regional Director, West Division, Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, San Diego, California; Travis Graham, Supervisory Contract Specialist, Office of Acquisition, Enterprise Services, Indianapolis, Indiana; Clifton Greenhow, Program Manager, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC; Anthony Harvin, Supervisory Contract Specialist, Office of Acquisition, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC; Andrew Hawk, Program Manager, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Enterprise Services, Indianapolis, Indiana Ronald James, Management and Program Analyst, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Enterprise Services, Laguna Niguel, California; Melissa Johnson, Management and Program Analyst, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Washington, DC; Heather Madden, Chief of Staff, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC; Katy Marin, Branch Chief, Mission Support Division, Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Tucson, Arizona; Gary Nelson, Program Manager, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Enterprise Services, Euless, Texas; Dieu Nguyen, Director, Enterprise Network Services Branch, Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; John Petrilla, Management and Program Analyst, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Enterprise Services, Laguna Niguel, California; Kevin Sarff, Supervisory Contract Specialist, Office of Acquisition, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC Tanya Smith, Management and Program Analyst, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Washington, DC; Joseph Zidron, Program Manager, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Enterprise Services, Laguna Niguel, California 

Distinguished Service to Safety Award 

Integrated Damage Assessment Team, Enterprise Services  

Team Members: Eddie Alvarez, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer (Program Manager), Office of Field Operations, Miami, Florida; John Castello, Border Security Coordinator, Office of Field Operations, Miami, Florida Joshua R. Clark, Special Operations Supervisor, United States Border Patrol, Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan; Carlo DiRienzo, Program Manager, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Enterprise Services, Buffalo, New York; Patrick Fitzgerald, Field Technology Officer, Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, New Orleans, Louisiana; Charles Alan Fountain, Lead Safety & Occupational Health Specialist, Office of Human Resources Management, Homestead, Florida; Michael Gregory, Supervisory Information Technology Specialist, Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Lorton, Virginia; Lori Iwanicki, Emergency Management Specialist, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Enterprise Services, Euless, Texas; George Lahoz, Safety & Occupational Health Specialist, Office of Human Resources Management, Enterprise Services, Miami, Florida; Janette Matravers, Program Manager, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Detroit, Michigan; Robert Omphroy, Jr., Customs and Border Protection Officer (Program Manager), Office of Field Operations, Miami, Florida; Michael Parr, Mission Assurance Officer, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Enterprise Services, Detroit, Michigan; Andrew Siegel, Safety & Occupational Health Specialist, Office of Human Resources Management, Enterprise Services, Tampa, Florida; Wilfred Torres, Field Technology Officer, Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, New Orleans, Louisiana 

Excellence in Law Enforcement Actions 

William Cortes Negron, Digital Forensics Analyst, Laboratories and Scientific Services, Operations Support, Homestead Air Force Base, Florida 

Miami Air and Marine Branch Marathon Marine Unit, Air and Marine Operations 

Team Members: John Apollony, Marine Interdiction Agent, Air and Marine Operations, Marathon, Florida; Dustin Cole, Marine Interdiction Agent, Air and Marine Operations, Marathon, Florida; Mark Hensel, Marine Interdiction Agent, Air and Marine Operations, Marathon, Florida; Robert Sellers, Supervisory Marine Interdiction Agent, Air and Marine Operations, Marathon, Florida; Major Torley, Marine Interdiction Agent, Air and Marine Operations, Marathon, Florida 

Mission Integration Award 

Advance Travel Authorization Team, Office of Field Operations  

Team Members: Kareem Baker, Supervisory Information and Technology Specialist, Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Emilia Bakopoulos, Director, Traveler Policy, Office of Field Operations, Washington, DC; Michael Balero, Port Director, Office of Field Operations, Orlando, Florida; Stephanie Cuevas, Customs and Border Protection Officer (Program Manager), Office of Field Operations, San Francisco, California; Debra Danisek, Director, Privacy Division, Office of the Commissioner, Privacy and Diversity Office, Washington, DC; Katrina Deyo, Assistant Port Director, Office of Field Operations, San Diego, California; Joseph Draganac, Assistant Director, Cargo Targeting Division, National Targeting Center, Office of Field Operations, Washington, DC; Jason Israel, Branch Chief, Privacy Division, Office of the Commissioner, Privacy and Diversity Office, Washington, DC; Tricia Kennedy, Customs and Border Protection Officer (Program Manager), Office of Field Operations, Tampa, Florida; Matthew Kim, Information and Technology Specialist, Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Daniel Menendez, Advisor to the Commissioner, Office of the Commissioner, Washington, DC; Timothy Miller, Management and Program Analyst, Office of Field Operations, Traveler Policy, Washington, DC; Eric Peters, Deputy Director, Passenger Targeting Division, National Targeting Center, Office of Field Operations, Sterling, Virginia; Steven Renfroe, Assistant Director, Passenger Targeting Division, National Targeting Center, Office of Field Operations, Sterling, Virginia; Seth Renkema, Chief Economist, Economic Impact Analysis Branch, Office of Trade, Washington, DC; Nael Samha, Executive Director Software Development, Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Brittany Simon, Acting Branch Chief, Enforcement Programs, Office of Field Operations, San Diego, California; Fran Swearengen, Supervisory Information and Technology Specialist, Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Stephanie Watson, Director, Field Liaison Division, Operations Directorate Office of Field Operations, Washington, DC; Rachel Weinstein, Senior Attorney, Office of the Chief Counsel, Washington, DC; Shadé Williams, Management and Program Analyst - Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, Economic Impact Analysis Branch, Office of Trade, Washington, DC  

Workforce Care Team, Enterprise Services 

Team Members: Timothy Brien, Management and Program Analyst, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC; Rose Brophy, Director of Field Operations, Office of Field Operations, Buffalo, New York; Heather Brusegard, Management and Program Analyst - Special Assistant, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC; Kent Corso, Supervisory Psychologist, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC; Gloria Cruz-Hairston, Management and Program Analyst, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC; Jerry Driscoll, Mission Support Specialist, Enterprise Services, Edinburg, Texas; Stephanie Duncan, Management and Program Analyst, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC; Scott Ehret, Management and Program Analyst, Enterprise Services, Dallas, Texas; Deannette Eisele, Supervisory Program Manager, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC; Danielle Giles, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Port Huron, Michigan; Gordon Harmon, Supervisory Program Manager, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC; Paula Heacock, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Cargo Operations Division, Office of Field Operations, Newark, New Jersey; Catherine Kemmerling, Advanced Leadership Instructor, Enterprise Services, Office of Training and Development, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia; Wesley Little, Management and Program Analyst, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC; Karen McDaniel, Management and Program Analyst, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC; Kimbra Miller, Supervisory Import Specialist, Office of Field Operations, Blaine, Washington; Maribel Montoya, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, El Paso, Texas; Sandra Needham, Supervisory Import Specialist, Office of Field Operations, Detroit, Michigan; Jeff Schartner, Management and Program Analyst, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC; Alyssa Scully, Supervisory Program Manager, Enterprise Services, New York, New York; Roshanda Shoulders, Management and Program Analyst, Enterprise Services, Washington, DC; Michael Sia, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Buffalo, New York; Kwabena Yamoah, Management Inspection Specialist, Office of Accountability, Newark, New Jersey; Lauren Yeager, Supervisory Budget Analyst, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Enterprise Services, Indianapolis, Indiana

Trade and Facilitation Award 

Detroit Trade Enforcement Team, Office of Field Operations  

Team Members: Christopher Kerby, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Detroit, Michigan; Jason Lagrand, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Detroit, Michigan; Aleksandar Tanaskoski, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Detroit, Michigan; Matthew Zimney, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Detroit, Michigan 

Truck Manifest Modernization Team, Enterprise Services  

Team Members: Shiva Kumar Badia, Information Technology Specialist (Policy & Planning), Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Mary Baker, Program Manager, Office of Trade, Washington, DC; Zule Baker, Program Manager, Office of Trade, Ashburn, Virginia; Caleb Baldwin, International Trade Specialist, Office of Trade, Ashburn, Virginia; Habib Bhuiya, Information Technology Specialist (Application Software), Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Jyothsna Charagundla, Supervisory Information Technology Specialist (Application Software/Information Security), Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Hariprasad Gangavarapu, Information Technology Specialist (Application Software), Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Rick Hall, Information Technology Specialist (Application Software), Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Fatima Hayat, Information Technology Specialist (Information Security), Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Kevin Howell, Information Technology Specialist (Information Security), Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, VA; Christopher Jerussi, Information Technology Specialist (Policy & Planning), Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Abdel Khateeb, Information Technology Specialist (Application Software), Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Steve Lubel, Information Technology Specialist (Policy & Planning), Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Molly Maass, Acquisition Program Manager/Information Technology Specialist (Application Software/Information Security), Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Rachna Mawla, Information Technology Specialist (Application Software/Information Security), Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Cindy Mazur, Management and Program Analyst, Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Stephanie McKinney, Supervisory Client Representative, Office of Trade, Houston, Texas; Arnulfo Molina, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Laredo, Texas; Valla Olliver, Supervisory Information Technology Specialist (Application Software), Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Linda Olsen, Client Representative, Office of Trade, Seattle, Washington; Thomas Pilcher, Information Technology Specialist (Policy & Planning), Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia; Carlos Rodriguez, Information Technology Specialist (Information Security), Office of Trade, Euless, Texas; Frederick Rylaarsdam, Customs and Border Protection Officer (Program Manager), Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Seattle, Washington; Linda White, Management and Program Analyst, Office of Information and Technology, Enterprise Services, Ashburn, Virginia  

Volunteer Service Award 

Clyde D. Thompson, Management and Program Analyst, Office of Trade, Washington, DC    

JFK Outreach Volunteers, Office of Field Operations  

Team Members: Ram Bartulis, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Meenu Bedi, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Serina Black, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Nixaliz Buckner, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Tyrone Francis, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Christian Frias, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Kareem Graham, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Krystal Hemsel, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Jose Hernandez, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Antonette Jordan, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Sara Kim, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Trece-Kristo Lanas, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Raymond Lau, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Vincent Martucci, Watch Commander (Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer), Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Kerry Mitchell, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Michael Nicholas, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Kenneth Padilla, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Edyta Perkowski, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Joseph Persico, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Noelia Ramirez, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Rafael Rosso, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Tony Thomas, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; John Torres, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Drew Vukov, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York; Alan Wolfe, Deputy Chief (Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer), Office of Field Operations, Queens, New York 

Emerging Leader Award 

Vince Kaparic, Program Manager, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Enterprise Services, San Diego, California   

Shaquira Torres-Torres, Mission Support Specialist, Office of Field Operations, San Juan, Puerto Rico     

Career Achievement Award 

Edna Knight, Executive Director, Financial Operations, Office of the Commissioner, Office of Finance, Indianapolis, Indiana   

Hector Montalvo, Supervisory Program Manager, Office of Facilities and Asset Management, Enterprise Services, Laguna Niguel, California   

Excellence in Intelligence Award 

Daniel J. Walker, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Kansas City, Missouri 

Excellence in Task Forces and Investigations Award 

Law Enforcement Technical Collections Team, Office of Field Operations  

Team Members: David Garza, Watch Commander (Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer), Office of Field Operations, Laredo, Texas; Carlos Gonzalez, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Laredo, Texas; Jose Gonzalez, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Laredo, Texas; Ricardo Jimenez, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Laredo, Texas; Jessica Proa, Customs and Border Protection Technician, Office of Field Operations, Laredo, Texas Kandyce Quintanilla, Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Laredo, Texas; Conrado Serna, III, Chief, Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer, Office of Field Operations, Laredo, Texas 

Resiliency Award 

Tahira Manns, Program Manager Team Lead, Office of Field Operations, Baltimore, Maryland   

 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America’s frontline:  the nation’s largest law enforcement organization and the world’s first unified border management agency. The 65,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We facilitate safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation’s security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.   

International travelers to the US will be able to skip proof of COVID vaccine, WH says

The Biden administration will lift the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for inbound international air travelers on Friday.

"As we continue to monitor the evolving state of COVID-19 and the emergence of virus variants, we have the tools to detect and respond to the potential emergence of a variant of high consequence," President Joe Biden said in a proclamation Tuesday. "Considering the progress that we have made, and based on the latest guidance from our public health experts, I have determined that we no longer need the international air travel restrictions that I imposed in October 2021."

Biden announced the change last week , along with the end of vaccine requirements for federal employees and contractors, foreign nationals at the land border and others. The requirement for air travelers will lift at midnight Thursday as the coronavirus public health emergency ends. Biden previously  signed a bill ending the COVID national emergency  in April.

So, what does that mean for travelers? Here's what we know.

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Is there still a vaccine requirement for international travelers coming to the US?

Not as of later this week.

Currently, all "non-U.S. citizen, non-U.S. immigrants traveling to the United States by air" must show proof of vaccination with limited exceptions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's  website .

Industry group the U.S. Travel Association, which had called on the Biden administration to  end the vaccine requirement  for inbound international visitors and argued the rule was an impediment to tourism, applauded the change when it was announced last week.

“Today’s action to lift the vaccine requirement eases a significant entry barrier for many global travelers, moving our industry and country forward," Geoff Freeman, the organization's President and CEO, said in a statement last week. He also called on the federal government to "ensure U.S. airports and other ports of entry are appropriately staffed with Customs and Border Protection officers to meet the growing demand for entry."

The U.S.  lifted a requirement  that air travelers coming from China show proof of a negative COVID test in March. The policy took effect in January amid a surge of cases in China.

The U.S.  dropped its COVID testing rule  for international flyers in June.

Do travelers need a vaccine to cross the Mexico or Canada borders to the US?

The Department of Homeland Security also said in a news release that it will no longer require non-U.S. travelers coming into the country by land or at ferry terminals to be fully vaccinated or show proof of their vaccination status.

Do US travelers need to be vaccinated against COVID to travel internationally?

That depends. Many destinations have dropped their vaccination and testing requirements for travel, though some still have rules in place. The Philippines, for example, still requires travelers to be fully vaccinated or show proof of a negative COVID test in order to visit, according to the  U.S. Embassy in the Philippines .

AI, self-service are taking over travel: Will everything become a DIY experience?

The CDC also recommends travelers be up to date on their COVID vaccinations before leaving the country. The agency defines up to date as having one updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine for people age 6 and up, which "protect against both the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the Omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5," according to its  website .

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

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Travel management policy overview

Located within GSA’s Office of Government-wide Policy, the Office of Travel, Relocation, Transportation, and Mail Policy sets travel policy for most Executive branch agencies through the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) . The office is best known for setting per diem reimbursement rates for lodging and meals, which is the most frequently visited page on the GSA website. In addition, the office sets mileage reimbursement rates for privately owned vehicles (POV), writes and interprets the FTR, collects and reports agency data on several types of travel, and answers questions on complex travel topics such as the Fly America Act and how travel regulations apply to Federal employee telework and remote work situations. The FTR is continuously evaluated to incorporate new technology, analyze the impact of regulations and laws, and educate and train federal travel professionals.

View recent FTR amendments and Travel/Per Diem Bulletins .

GSA establishes the per diem rates that Federal Executive branch agencies use to reimburse their employees for subsistence expenses incurred while on official travel within the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. The per diem rates consist of a maximum lodging allowance component and a meals and incidental expenses (M&IE) component. More information is available at gsa.gov/perdiem .

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Federal employees may be reimbursed the applicable mileage rate for privately owned automobiles, motorcycles, and privately owned aircraft while on official temporary duty (TDY) travel. The rate to use when a government-furnished vehicle is available but the employee uses a privately owned vehicle instead is also listed at this site, as well as the standard mileage reimbursement rates for moving purposes (see the Employee Relocation Management Policy site for more information on the moving rate). View all the rates at gsa.gov/mileage . 

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GSA’s travel policy office works with all Executive agencies, but each Federal agency also has an internal agency travel policy office that ensures compliance with both the FTR and their own additional internal travel rules applicable to their unique missions. Federal employees should direct any travel-related questions to their internal agency travel policy office, which is often found in the agency’s Office of Finance or Travel/Relocation Office. These local offices are in the best position to review the circumstances and facts of each question and provide appropriate answers.

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If you still have questions after reviewing the FTR and internal agency policy, submit a question to the Have a Question page . Federal contractors and grantees should reach out to their contracting/grant officer, and employees of other types of organizations should contact their appropriate office that handles travel questions.

Federal Travel Regulation (FTR)  

PER DIEM LOOK-UP

1 choose a location.

Error, The Per Diem API is not responding. Please try again later.

No results could be found for the location you've entered.

Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. Territories and Possessions are set by the Department of Defense .

Rates for foreign countries are set by the State Department .

2 Choose a date

Rates are available between 10/1/2021 and 09/30/2024.

The End Date of your trip can not occur before the Start Date.

Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations, unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where lodging is obtained.

Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within those boundaries."

Per diem localities with county definitions shall include "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties, including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties (unless otherwise listed separately)."

When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties, even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.

Gaza latest: Israel's use of weapons provided by US likely violated international law, report by Biden govt finds

The Biden administration says Israel likely violated international law with US-provided weapons. Earlier, Israel's ambassador to the UN used a paper shredder to shred the UN charter on stage at the UN General Assembly.

Saturday 11 May 2024 04:47, UK

• Israel-Hamas war

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• US report says Israel's use of arms likely violated international law
• Israeli ambassador to United Nations shreds 'copy of UN charter'
• UN General Assembly backs Palestinian bid for full membership
• Mark Stone analysis: Who voted with Israel at the UN and why were most Pacific Island nations?
• Netanyahu says Israelis will fight with 'fingernails' after Biden weapons warning - but Rafah decision unclear
• Israeli war cabinet 'approves expanded Rafah operation'
• Alistair Bunkall analysis: Biden's reputation is on the line if Netanyahu defies him
• Listen to the Daily above and tap here to follow wherever you get your podcasts
• Live reporting by Lauren Russell and (earlier) Richard Williams

Firefighters are battling a large blaze in Kiryat Shmona, a city in northern Israel, after 35 rockets were fired by Lebanon's Hezbollah, according to The Times of Israel.

The news site cited the Israel Fire and Rescue Services as saying 10 firefighting teams were at the scene.

Video posted on social media appeared to show the fire on what looked like the side of a hill.

No casualties or injuries have been reported. 

A report by the US government has said that Israel's use of US-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law.

In the findings of a state department report - known as the national security memorandum - the Biden administration said it has found "reasonable" evidence to conclude that its ally had breached international law.

But it added it was unable to link specific US weapons to individual Israeli strikes. 

The report said: "Given Israel's significant reliance on US-made defence articles, it is reasonable to assess that defence articles have been used by Israeli security forces since 7 October in instances inconsistent with its international humanitarian law obligations or with established best practices for mitigating civilian harm."

It added that while Israel has the knowledge, experience and tools to implement the "best practices for mitigating civilian harm in its military operations" evidence from the ground - including high levels of civilian casualties - raise "substantial questions whether the IDF is using them effectively in all cases".

Turning to the issue of aid getting into Gaza, the US government report said it does not currently assess that the Israeli government is prohibiting or restricting the transport or delivery of aid. 

Crucially, the report stops short of saying that Israel has violated the terms under which it is able to use US weapons to carry out its offensive in Gaza.

By Mark Stone , US correspondent 

A huge majority of the world's nations voted with the Palestinians at the United Nations today.

But who were the nine countries that voted against the Palestinian quest for membership, rights and privileges at the UN, and why?

The current Israeli government is firmly against a Palestinian state in every sense.

Different iterations of Israeli governments over the years have oscillated on 'two states', but after the 7 October Hamas attacks the Israeli position cemented - no two states, no Palestinian state.

Broadly, they do not distinguish between the extremism of Hamas and the moderate nature of other Palestinian political factions like the Fatah-run Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. It's the crux of deadlock.

So who else? 

The United States

They stand behind Israel despite significant tension now between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

America is committed to a two-state solution but argues that it begins with a ceasefire and that the formation of a Palestinian state comes much further down the line.

Speaking after the vote, White House spokesman John Kirby said: "We continue to believe in the promise of a two-state solution and an independent state for the Palestinian people. 

"That's something that President Biden remains fully and firmly committed to. We also believe that the best way to do that is through direct negotiations with the parties and not through a vote at the UN of this kind, so that's why we voted no."

As always with geopolitics, relationships are so often symbiotic; they are all about mutual benefit even when, ostensibly, the relationship might seem incongruous.

The eastern-European EU member voted with Israel and against the Palestinians.

Don't assume that hard-right Hungarian Prime Minister Orban's hatred of Hungarian-born Jewish-US billionaire George Soros is a reflection of his views on Israel despite the anti-Soros narrative often being seen as antisemitic.

Antisemitism has haunted the right of politics in Hungary since the Second World War when half a million Jewish Hungarians were murdered. Yet Orban and Netanyahu have a close, longstanding relationship.

Israel and Hungary are aligned by mutual interests. 

Orban admires the way Netanyahu's ethos of building strength out of a small nation-state and the two leaders found mutual interest in standing up to liberal democratic headwinds.

Orban's fallout with the EU has aligned with Netanyahu's assessment that Europe is increasingly anti-Israel.

The Soros-hatred also aligns with Netanyahu in that the conspiracy is that Soros is somehow seeking to 'Islamise' Judeo-Christian Europe with his pro-immigration stance.

Argentina's vote is driven by new populist President Javier Milei who has pledged unwavering support for Netanyahu and has vowed to move Argentina's embassy to Jerusalem. 

Milei has said he plans to convert to Judaism.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic also voted with Israel in line with a strongly pro-Israel stance underlined repeatedly since 7 October.

There is a strong historical bond between Czech leaders and the Zionist movement which helped cement the Jewish State which strengthened after the fall of Communism in 1989. 

As a new democracy, the Czech Republic bonded with a young democracy in Israel. In recent years, economic ties have flourished.

Pacific Island Nations

The rest, curiously maybe, are all Pacific Island nations: Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Nauru and Palau.

The reason for their support is simple: straightforward soft power.

The small developing nations all enjoy generous Israeli aid from the government and from Israeli charities. 

The understanding is that, in return, they will always support Israel at international bodies of which they are members.

Israel insists that its motivation is predominantly humanitarian, but officials are up front to that it's also about positioning Israel in a better light.

Israel uses its considerable expertise in many arenas deftly.

At natural disasters, for example, Israeli rescue crews are often among the first on the ground. 

This targeted soft power diplomacy has helped Israel to secure votes, but also abstentions in its favour among many other nations too.

On this vote though, on Palestine, global opinion was overwhelmingly against Israel.

Israel's entry for Eurovision 2024, Eden Golan, has become one of the favourites among bookies to win this year's contest.

The 20-year-old singer climbed to second favourite from ninth after the semi-final, according to Eurovision World, a website that compiles betting odds from 15 of Europe's biggest bookmakers. 

It said Israel is seen as having a 22% chance of winning, behind Croatia's Baby Lasagna who was seen having a 41% chance.

It comes despite more than 10,000 people gathering in the host Swedish city of Malmo to stage a non-violent protest against Israel's participation in Saturday's final.

While the results of the two semi-finals are decided by viewers, in the final, audience votes will make up only half of the result, while juries of five music professionals in each participating country will make up the other half.

Earlier, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations appeared on stage at a meeting of the UN General Assembly.

Whilst on stage in New York he shredded "a copy of the UN charter" - which was, in reality, three pieces of paper.

His actions came moments before the 193-member world body approved a resolution, giving Palestine new "rights and privileges" within the agency. 

Watch the full moment below. 

A first of its kind report by the US government is expected to conclude that Israel has not violated the terms of its use of US weapons, according to sources cited by the Associated Press. 

The report - known as the national security memorandum - was pushed by President Joe Biden's Democrats in Congress.

When agreed to back in February, defence and state departments were tasked to conduct "an assessment of any credible reports or allegations that such defence articles and, defence services, have been used in a manner not consistent with international law, including international humanitarian law".

They were also obliged to tell Congress if they thought Israel has acted to "arbitrarily to deny, restrict, or otherwise impede, directly or indirectly," delivery of any US-supported humanitarian aid into Gaza for starving civilians there.

It follows the US pausing a shipment of 3,500 bombs heading for Israel over concern they would be used in an offensive on Rafah.

The conclusions of the memorandum are expected to be sharply critical of Israel, but will not state that Israel violated terms of weapons agreements between the two countries. 

A senior Biden administration official said the full report is expected to be released later today, but declined to comment on its conclusions.

Palestinians in Rafah are still preparing to evacuate the eastern parts of the city amid the threat of an Israeli ground offensive. 

The United Nations estimates around 110,000 Palestinians have already fled in search of safety. 

In the latest pictures from the city, a tent camp where people are currently living is seen. 

In one of the images, people appear to have started to make piles of their belongings as they get ready to evacuate. 

South Africa has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to order additional emergency measures against Israel over its attacks on the city of Rafah, the United Nations top court has said. 

It is part of the ongoing case brought by South Africa in January which accuses Israel of acts of genocide against Palestinians . 

The court - which is located in The Hague in the Netherlands - ordered Israel at the beginning of the year to take all measures within its power to prevent genocide.

South Africa wanted the ICJ to implement provisional measures on Israel which would "immediately suspend military operations in and against Gaza" - but the ICJ stopped short of that.

Any decision to impose provisional measures will be "hugely problematic" for the Israeli offensive, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed will continue until all hostages are returned and Hamas is destroyed.

Within the last few hours, the United Nations General Assembly has backed a bid put forward by Palestine for it to become a full agency member.

The vote passed by 143 votes to nine but 25 countries - including the UK - abstained.

In a post on X, the UK at the UN explained why it took the decision to abstain. 

"We are abstaining on this resolution because we believe that the first step towards achieving this goal is resolving the immediate crisis in Gaza," it said.

It said the fastest way to end the conflict is to secure a deal which releases all hostages and allows for a pause in fighting. 

The statement added that the UK remains firmly committed to a two-state solution and recognising a Palestinian state, including in the UN, and should be part of the process to achieving a sustainable ceasefire. 

The US ambassador to the UN Robert Wood gave similar reasons as to why America voted against the bid, saying its vote does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood.

"Instead, it is an acknowledgement that statehood will only come from a process that involves direct negotiations between the parties," he said.

What happens next?

For Palestine to become a full UN member, the 15-member UN Security Council will have to vote, and pass, the application.

At the last security council vote in March - which demanded a ceasefire in Gaza during the holy month of Ramadan - the US abstained.

The 14 other council members - including Russia, China and the UK - voted in favour.

For now, it remains unclear if or when the security council will vote on Palestine's membership bid.

Hamas has said it will hold talks with leaders of what it called "Palestinian resistance factions" to reconsider its negotiation strategy. 

It said the discussions need to be held due to Benjamin Netanyahu's behaviour, Israeli attacks on places in Rafah and the occupation of the city's border crossing with Egypt.

"Netanyahu and his government are using the negotiations as a cover to attack Rafah and occupy the crossing, and continue the war of extermination against our people, and they bear full responsibility for obstructing reaching an agreement," the statement said. 

Earlier this week, Hamas said they expressed agreement over a ceasefire deal following a phone call with Qatar's prime minister and Egypt's intelligence minister.

Israel later put an end to this, saying it would not accept the deal in its current form, a decision Hamas said today had brought things "back to square one". 

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